Digest

Committee of Residents Proposed for Airport

Los Angeles City Councilman John Ferraro, who listened to a spirited debate last week between critics and defenders of Van Nuys Airport, has taken steps to establish a committee of San Fernando Valley residents to advise city airport authorities on issues related to the airfield.

Ferraro introduced a motion before the council calling on the independent Airport Commission to set up such a committee. The motion was referred to the Industry and Economic Development Committee for consideration.

The council committee, of which Ferraro is a member, held a public hearing at Fulton Junior High School in Van Nuys last Tuesday on airport noise and safety issues. A crowd of about 300 showed up, about evenly divided between airport backers and neighbors who complained of airplane noise, charter-plane traffic and worries about aircraft crashes.

In his motion, Ferraro argued that, although a citizens' advisory committee to the Airport Commission already exists, "it is comprised of representatives from all parts of Los Angeles and must regularly deal with all facets of airport operations, including LAX, and therefore cannot devote sufficient time to matters arising from the operations of Van Nuys Airport and how they impact on the people who live and work in the area."